ODB: The Frosting of Faith

Hand in hand, my grandson and I skipped across the parking lot to find a special back-to-school outfit. A preschooler now, he was excited about everything, and I was determined to ignite his happiness into joy. I’d just seen a coffee mug with the inscription, “Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting.” Frosting equals fun, glitter, joy! That’s my job description as
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I Quit My Job in the Midst of the Pandemic

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Late last year, I left my teaching job of 15 years—a job that gave me security, despite the constant struggle of balancing work and family. I had been feeling drained and discouraged for the past two years. Although I often prayed to God for strength to get through the challenging days, I found the work culture was stifling and toxic. At times I couldn’t even breathe or sleep well at night.

Justice Will Be Served

On the same day that Haman falls, Mordecai rises. The impaling of Haman probably provided the chance for Esther to reveal to the king that Mordecai was her relative (Esther 8:1). Haman is again described as ″the enemy of the Jews″ (v. 1), but now he has been executed as an enemy of the Persian Empire.

ODB: Serving the Least

His name is Spencer. But everybody calls him “Spence.” He was a state track champion in high school; then he went on to attend a prestigious university on a full academic scholarship. He lives now in one of America’s largest cities and is highly respected in the field of chemical engineering. But if you were to ask Spence his greatest achievements to date, he wouldn’t menti

ODB: Imperfect Plans

I was exploring a library on the bottom floor of a new community center when an overhead crash suddenly shook the room. A few minutes later it happened again, and then again. An agitated librarian finally explained that a weight-lifting area was positioned directly above the library, and the noise occurred every time someone dropped a weight. Architects and designers had carefully planned many asp

5 Love Languages (Siblings Edition)

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Siblings. The ones who bring out the very best . . . and the worst in us. If not for them, we wouldn’t be who we are today. And regardless of how many squabbles or actual fights we’ve had, they are still family at the end of the day.

ODB: Finding Joy in Praise

When the famous British writer C. S. Lewis first gave his life to Jesus, he initially resisted praising God. In fact, he called it “a stumbling block.” His struggle was “in the suggestion that God Himself demanded it.” Yet Lewis finally realized “it is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence” to His people. Th
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How to Grow a Deeper Friendship with God

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We love the idea of telling Jesus whatever’s on our hearts, of having someone to share in our burdens or comfort us when we’re lonely. But how often do we think about how we’re being friends to Jesus? Here are some ways to help us grow in our delight of seeing God as a perfect, constant friend.

Be Slow To Anger

Today we'll see what we can learn about anger from the book of Esther. We've just seen King Xerxes' anger flare up when he sees Haman fall ″onto″ his wife (Esther 7:8). His fury only subsides after Haman is impaled (v. 10).